Newborn&#39;s growth adjustable absorbent diaper having variable overlapping and non-overlapping ears

ABSTRACT

A growth adjustable diaper for newborn babies is adjustable in length by use of a foldable absorbent panel at the front edge of the diaper and is adjustable about the waist of the baby by means of ear members that can overlap and attach to each other or not overlap and attach to the front section of the diaper. Cushion barriers are provided at the crotch section and back waist edge to protect the newborn&#39;s sensitive, tender skin.

This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 868,915 filedApr. 15, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,986 which is a division of Ser.No. 757,784 filed Sep. 11, 1991 now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to a disposable article and, more particularly,to a disposable absorbent article that is adjustable in length andattachment to accommodate the relatively fast growth of a newborn baby.

Currently, disposable absorbent articles find widespread use in infantand child care and have generally replaced reusable cloth absorbentarticles. A typical disposable absorbent article generally comprises acomposite structure including a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbentbetween the topsheet and backsheet. These articles usually include sometype of fastening system for fitting the article onto the wearer.

Although current disposable baby diapers have been generally accepted bythe public, these diapers still have need of improvement in specificareas. For example, mothers of newborns between the age of zero andgenerally about four months are aware of the irritation that currentdisposable diapers cause with the umbilical cord during the first monthof the newborn's existence. Naturally, any irritation of the umbilicalcord is a discomfort to the newborn and of anxious concern to themother. Another serious concern to mothers is the tenderness of thenewborn's skin and, thus, its sensitivity to even slight pressures orrubbing actions that can cause irritation and red marking. With currentdiapers, this irritation or pressure is caused by leg elastics thatpress the diaper tightly against the newborn's skin to prevent urineleakage. It also can occur at the waist area where the back ears of thediaper are adhesively attached tightly to the front section of thediaper. Thus, it can be appreciated that current diapers do not providean optimum absorbent article for newborn babies.

In addition to concerns for the newborn's healing umbilical cord areaand tender, sensitive skin is the relatively rapid growth of the newbornbetween the time when he or she is born to approximately the age of fourmonths. During this time the newborn will grow in length and weight fromabout six pounds to about fifteen pounds, thus, posing a problem to themother, since the diaper the mother was first using was sized for thebaby at birth, while the next size diaper may not be appropriate to anewborn during this rapid growth stage. Thus, it would be desirable tohave a diaper exclusively designed for a newborn between the age of zeroand about four months that provides adjustability in size to accommodatethis rapid growth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one form of the invention, there is provided a growth adjustableabsorbent article comprising a backsheet, including a front section, aback section, and an intermediate crotch section, and a main absorbentbody disposed on at least the intermediate crotch section. A foldablepanel is disposed on the front section between the main absorbent bodyand the front edge of the front section. This foldable panel is moveablebetween a first position, in which it is substantially coplanar with themain absorbent body, and a second position, in which the foldable panelis folded inwardly upon the main absorbent body, thereby providingadjustability to the article.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features of the present invention, and themanner of attaining them, will become more apparent, and the inventionitself will be better understood, by reference to the followingdescription of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the bodyside of a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention when laid flat;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the backside of the embodiment in FIG. 1when laid flat;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the embodiment in FIG. 1 taken along line3--3 and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the bodyside of a modification to theembodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view of the embodiment in FIG. 1 on a newborn baby with thefoldable absorbent panel folded inwardly and the ears overlapping;

FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6 except that the ears do not overlap;

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7 except that the foldable absorbent panel hasbeen unfolded with the ears attached thereto;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the embodiment in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another cushion barrier.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, and 9, a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is illustrated as diaper 2 comprising front section 4 havingfront edge 6, back section 8 having back edge 10, and intermediatecrotch section 12. Back section 8 further comprises a pair of earmembers 14 and 16 attached to or integral with back section 8.Generally, ear members 14 and 16 will be integral to back section 8.

Diaper 2 further comprises backsheet 18 and topsheet 20 havingpositioned therebetween main absorbent body 22. Backsheet 18 andtopsheet 20 may be of the same size and shape in which ear members 14and 16 would be formed by extensions of backsheet 18 and topsheet 20. Ifdesired, topsheet 20 need not be coincident with backsheet 18, but it ispreferred that both backsheet 18 and topsheet 20 have a length and widthgreater than that of main absorbent body 22 to allow their peripheriesto be attached in any suitable manner. As illustrated in FIG. 3, mainabsorbent body 22 does not extend the full length of diaper 2 but ispositioned at least at intermediate crotch section 12.

Preferably, backsheet 18 has both cloth-like and liquid-impermeableproperties. The cloth-like properties are naturally preferred on theoutermost surface of backsheet 18 to give a natural cloth feel to diaper2 for both the newborn and mother or caretaker. This is in contrast tocurrent diapers that use only a polymeric film material as the backsheetthat has a plastic touch or feel. One means of providing backsheet 18with both cloth-like and liquid-impermeable properties is to constructit of two plies, a liquid-impermeable inner ply 24, which may also bebreathable or nonbreathable to vapor, and a cloth-like outer ply 26.Inner ply 24 can be a thin film of liquid-impermeable material that isextruded onto a spunbond material as outer ply 26.

Topsheet 20 is permeable to liquids such as urine and, in one of theunique aspects of the present invention, has a very soft feel or texturethat is highly desirable for the sensitive, tender skin of a newborn.One preferred means of providing topsheet 20 with this extremely softfeel or texture is to construct it of a matrix of fibers in which all,or at least some, of the fibers are bicomponent fibers. Thesebicomponent fibers can be side-by-side or sheath-core construction. Amore detailed description of topsheet 20 is provided hereafter. In onepreferred embodiment, topsheet 20 is a two-layer composite comprisingliner layer 21 made of bicomponent fibers and surge layer 23 made of amixture of bicomponent fibers and other fibers. Liner layer 21 and surgelayer 23 can be placed on top of each other without any additional stepof bonding the two layers together, or liner layer 21 and surge layer 23may be placed together followed by a bonding or joining step thatintegrates layers 21 and 23 together to form topsheet 20. Surge layer 23preferably is narrower than liner layer 21 and centered between cushionbarriers 52 or containment flaps 64 (FIG. 5). Surge layer 23 preferablyis between liner layer 21 and absorbent body 22.

Ear members 14 and 16 have respective hook surfaces 32 attached neartheir ends on inner surface 34 of diaper 2. Each hook surface 32comprises a plurality of hook members (not shown) that are compatiblewith a plurality of loop members to be described hereafter.

Diaper 2 suitably further includes outer surface 36 on which is placedthree loop surfaces 38, 40 and 42. Loop surface 38 is attached to eitheror both ear member 14 or ear member 16 and, in FIG. 3, is illustrated asbeing attached to ear member 16 on outer surface 36. Loop surfaces 40and 42 are attached to outer surface 36 at front section 4. Asillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, loop surface 40 is near front edge 6, andloop surface 42 is spaced slightly inwardly of loop surface 40. Ifdesired, loop surfaces 40 and 42 can be one single loop surface. Loopsurfaces 38, 40 and 42 respectively comprise a plurality of loop members(not shown) that are compatible with the plurality of hook members onhook surfaces 32.

A pair of elasticized leg cuffs 44 are suitably positioned on respectivelongitudinal sides of diaper 2 and, preferably, are attached betweenbacksheet 18 and topsheet 20. Leg cuffs 44 can be liquid permeable orliquid impermeable and are preferably elasticized by a plurality ofelastic threads 46. Leg cuffs 44 are preferably a two-ply composite inwhich the outermost ply is liquid impermeable and the innermost ply isliquid permeable. In this design, the outermost ply can be made of thesame material as backsheet 18 and the innermost ply can be made of thesame material as liner layer 21. If it is desired that leg cuffs 44 beliquid permeable, both plies can be made of the same or differentpermeable materials.

In addition to main absorbent body 22, diaper 2 suitably furthercomprises foldable absorbent panel 48 between main absorbent body 22 andfront edge 6. As with main absorbent body 22, foldable absorbent panel48 is positioned between backsheet 18 and topsheet 20. Foldableabsorbent panel 48 can be made of the same absorbent material as mainabsorbent body 22 and, as illustrated in FIG. 3, is spaced from mainabsorbent body 22. If desired, main absorbent body 22 and foldableabsorbent panel 48 can be integral and yet separately identified byembossing, creasing, aperturing, or the like, so as to permit foldableabsorbent panel 48 to fold inwardly as indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7. Itshould also be noted that loop surface 40 is foldable inwardly withabsorbent panel 48 as are those portions of backsheet 18 and topsheet 20that overlie absorbent panel 48. If desired, foldable panel 48 can bemade of a nonabsorbent material preferably having liquid damming orbarrier characteristics.

In order to provide elasticity to the front waist portion of diaper 2,which is that portion of front section 4 adjacent front edge 6, aplurality of elastic threads 50 are suitably joined between absorbentpanel 48 and backsheet 18. Elastic threads 50 can be first stretched andthen adhered to either backsheet 18 or panel 48, or both. Alternatively,elastic threads 50 can be made of a heat-elasticizable material in whichthey are joined in a relaxed condition and then heated to become elasticso as to gather backsheet 18. If desired, elastic threads 50 can bejoined to a separate layer of material to form an elastic composite andthen joined between backsheet 18 and absorbent panel 48.

One unique aspect of the present invention that addresses thesensitivity and tenderness of a newborn's skin is the presence ofcushion barriers that assist in preventing leakage while minimizing anyirritation or red marking of the skin. A pair of crotch cushion barriers52 are provided on opposite sides of main absorbent body 22, at least inthe area of intermediate crotch section 12. Each crotch cushion barrieris suitably spaced slightly apart from main absorbent body 22 so thatthey may easily flex or fold to match the newborn's body shape. Eachcushion barrier 52 has a top surface summit 54 that extends upwardly, ina direction away from the backsheet, beyond a top surface summit of mainabsorbent body 22 in order to provide a cup-like shape and, moreimportantly, to seal gently against the newborn's skin. As used herein,the term "summit" is meant to refer to the uppermost or highest point ofan element of an absorbent article distanced from the backsheet of theabsorbent article.

Each cushion barrier 52 is generally elongate and suitably curved inshape and may be cylindrical, rectangular, oval, or the like, in itstransverse, cross-sectional shape. Cushion barriers 52 can be made ofthe same material as main absorbent body 22 or can be made of othermaterial that is not absorbent, but resilient, to provide a dammingeffect to body wastes and a gentle seal against the skin. Suitably, noelastic member is provided with each cushion so as to reduce theoccurance of irritation and red marking of a newborn baby's skin. Assuch, the cushion barriers suitably perform a gasketing function withoutthe need for elastic members. If desired, however, an elastic member 56can be provided to each cushion barrier 52 between the respectivecushion barrier 52 and backsheet 18. Elastic members 56 serve to urgecushion barriers 52 against the newborn's skin in a gentle, soft manner.Elastic members 56 can be of the same construction and of the samematerials as described for elasticizing foldable absorbent panel 48 withelastic threads 50. Elastic members 56 are preferably elongate memberssimilar in length and width to their respective cushion barriers 52. Theheight with which top surface summit 54 extends upwardly, beyond the topsurface summit of main absorbent body 22, will vary depending upon theabsorbent materials used, the size and shape of diaper 2, and the like.Cushion barriers 52 are preferably positioned between backsheet 18 andliner layer 21 but may be on top of liner layer 21.

Although cushion barriers 52 have been described as being slightlyspaced apart from the longitudinal sides of main absorbent body 22, theymay be placed further apart from absorbent body 22 by as much as about 2centimeters or may be positioned on top of main absorbent body 22 nearits respective longitudinal sides.

Back section 8 includes back waist cushion barrier 58 positioned betweenmain absorbent body 22 and back edge 10. Preferably, back waist cushionbarrier 58 is sandwiched between backsheet 18 and liner layer 21 but maybe on the top of liner layer 21. Back waist cushion barrier 58 can bemade of the same materials as crotch cushion barriers 52 and includes aback waistband 60. Back waistband 60 can be constructed and made of thesame materials as front waistband 51. Thus, back waistband 60 cancomprise elastic threads 62 that are identical or similar to elasticthreads 50 of front waistband 51. Back waist cushion barrier 58 servesboth to provide a gentle cushion against the newborn's skin and toprovide a waste barrier at the back of diaper 2. Back waist cushionbarrier 58 is generally of the same width as main absorbent body 22 atback section 8 but, naturally, can be greater or lesser in width thanabsorbent body 22, as desired.

Referring to FIG. 5, diaper 2 has been modified to replace crotchcushion barriers 52 with a pair of containment flaps 64 and to replaceback waist cushion barrier with waste containment flap 66. Containmentflaps 64 can be made of the same material as liner layer 21 or may bemade of other suitable material. Containment flaps 64 can be formed ingenerally one of two methods. One method is to make each containmentflap 64 as an individual structural element and then attach it in anysuitable manner to liner layer 21. In this method, each proximal edge 68of a respective containment flap 64 is attached to liner layer 21. Inanother method, containment flaps 64 are made from liner layer 21 byessentially pleating liner layer 21 and then adhering proximal edges 30together. In both methods, distal edges 70 include at least a singlestrand 72 of stretchable material that is attached in a stretchedcondition to distal edges 70. Front ends 74 and back ends 76 ofcontainment flaps 64 are secured to liner layer 21. Upon relaxing orfitting diaper 2, elastic strands 72 cause edges 70 to extend upwardlyfrom liner layer 21. As described, containment flaps 64 are locatedinwardly or inboard of leg cuffs 44, as are cushion barriers 52. A moredetailed description of the construction of flaps 64 is contained inU.S. Pat. No. 4,704,116 to Enloe, the contents of which are incorporatedby reference herein.

Waste containment flap 66 can be identical or similar to containmentflaps 64, except that it is attached at back section 8 near back edge10. Waste containment flap 66 can be constructed in the same manner ascontainment flaps 64 and can be made of the same materials. Bothcontainment flaps 64 and waste containment flap 66 can be made ofliquid-impermeable or liquid-permeable materials as described hereafter.

Referring to FIG. 6, diaper 2 is illustrated as it would appear at itsshortest length of about 12 inches to about 13.75 inches on a newborn.Diaper 2 is fitted on a newborn in generally the same manner as currentdiapers except for the following steps. Foldable absorbent panel 48 isfolded inwardly so that the outer surfaces of foldable absorbent panel48 and main absorbent body 22 are in mutually-facing relationship.Folded with foldable absorbent panel 48 are loop surface 40 and frontwaistband 51. Loop surface 40 is made of a soft material that will notirritate the baby's skin. After this folding step, the newborn can beplaced on diaper 2 and front section 4 is pulled between the legs andtowards and against the front of the baby. Ear members 14 and 16 arethen wrapped around the waist of the newborn and positioned such thathook surface 32 of ear member 16 releasably engages loop surface 42, andhook surface 32 of ear member 14 engages loop surface 38 on ear member16. This fastening of ear members 16 and 14 to loop surface 42 and loopsurface 38, respectively, can be adjusted in order to snugly, butcomfortably, fit diaper 2 to the newborn. In this folded form, diaper 2is in its shortest length, and ear members 14 and 16 overlap each otherto accommodate the newborn's waistline which is at its smallestmeasurement at this point of the newborn's life.

Referring to FIG. 7, as the newborn begins to rapidly grow during thefirst several weeks or months after birth, diaper 2 can be adjusted asnecessary to match this growth trend. Foldable absorbent panel 48 canremain folded inwardly, but ear members 14 and 16 can be positioned onloop surface 42 in a non-overlapping manner as necessitated by thenewborn's increasing waistline. In this intermediate size adjustment ofdiaper 2, hook surfaces 32 of both ear members 14 and 16 are attached toloop surface 42.

As the newborn continues to rapidly grow, diaper 2 continues to matchthis development in both the length and the width of the newborn. Asillustrated in FIG. 8, to accommodate the growth in length, foldableabsorbent panel 48 has been returned to a substantially coplanarposition with main absorbent body 22, as indicated in FIG. 3, in orderto provide maximum length of about 14 inches to about 15 inches todiaper 2, and ear members 14 and 16 are now attached in anon-overlapping manner to loop surface 40 on foldable absorbent panel48.

Referring to FIG. 10, a modification to cushion barriers 52 and 58 isillustrated as numeral 53. This modification includes at least one, andpreferably two, as illustrated; row 55 comprising a plurality ofcup-like members 57 that receive and collect body wastes. Members 57face inwardly toward a longitudinal centerline of diaper 2 and, whenthere are two rows 55, the cup-like members 57 in one row 55 arestaggered with members 57 of the other row 55. Members 57 can be liquidpermeable or impermeable, and vapor permeable or impermeable. Generally,members 57 are made of a material that can be easily molded or formed tothe desired shape and geometry. If desired, these rows 55 of cup-likemembers 57 also can be provided with cushion barriers 52 and would bepositioned between respective cushion barriers 52 and leg cuffs 44.

Backsheet 18 is a two-ply composite in which the inner ply 24 is liquidimpermeable and outer ply 26 liquid permeable. Preferably, inner ply 24is a polypropylene film having a thickness of about 0.5 to about 1.0mil, and outer ply 26 is spunbond polypropylene having a basis weight ofabout 0.3 to about 1.0 ounce per square yard; the polypropylene fibersbeing bilobal in shape, and having a denier of about 1.5 to about 4.0dpf (denier per foot). Inner and outer plies 24 and 26 can be joined inany suitable manner, such as by spray adhesive, lines of adhesive, dotbonding, thermal bonding, sonic bonding, extruding the film layer ontothe spunbond layer, and the like. Backsheet 18 may be made of othermaterials that are liquid impermeable or treated to be so. Some examplesare meltblown or film material made of polyethylene or polyolefincopolymers. Backsheet 18 may also be vapor permeable as well as liquidimpermeable. Backsheet 18 generally will form the shape of diaper 2 and,as illustrated in the figures, is generally hourglass shape with earmembers 14 and 16 extending laterally outwardly. Other shapes are usableand will depend upon the types of materials used, their thicknesses, andthe like.

Topsheet 20 is made of a liquid-permeable material and is preferably atwo-layer composite. In a preferred embodiment, topsheet 20 is anintegrated bonded carded web having a basis weight of about 1.5 osy(ounces per square yard). Liner layer 21 is made of apolyethylene/polyester bicomponent fiber having a basis weight of about0.5 osy and a fiber denier of about 2.25 dpf. This type of bicomponentfiber can be purchased from BASF Corporation, Fibers Division, Enka,N.C. 28728. Surge layer 23 is preferably a fiber matrix having a basisweight of about 1.0 osy and comprising about 75 percent by weightpolyester fibers having a denier of about 15 dpf and 25 percent byweight of a polyethylene/polypropylene bicomponent fiber. These fiberscan be purchased from Chisso Corporation, PP Fiber Division, 6-32,Nakanoshima 3, Kita-Ku, Osaka-530, Japan. These two layers can beintegrated by, for example, through-air bonding or infra-red bonding.Topsheet 20 preferably has a density of about 0.02 gcc (grams per cubiccentimeter) and a bulk thickness of about 0.10 inch. This combination oflayers and fibers provides an extremely soft, gentle surface forplacement against the newborn's skin and is one of the unique featuresof the present invention. Although a preferred embodiment of topsheet20, topsheet 20 can have a basis weight between 15 to about 102 gsm(grams per square meter), a density between about 0.01 to about 0.08gcc, a fiber denier between about 1 to about 15 dpf, and fiber lengthsbetween about 0.5 to about 2.0 inches in which the fibers may be crimpedin a range of about 14 to about 22 crimps per inch.

Topsheet 20 can also be made of other liquid-permeable materials, suchas spunbond webs of synthetic polymer filaments, a spunlace web, and thelike. Topsheet 20 can have the same shape as backsheet 18 or may besmaller in length or width. However, it is preferred that topsheet 20and backsheet 18 have peripheries that extend outwardly beyond mainabsorbent body 22 so that their peripheral portions can be adheredtogether, such as by lines of adhesive or sonic bonding, or acombination of both.

Main absorbent body 22 is preferably a mixture of pulp fluff andsuperabsorbent material in which the fluff is present in the amount ofabout 13.4 grams and the superabsorbent material is present in theamount of about 7.2 grams. A suitable superabsorbent material can bepurchased from Hoechst Celanese, Super Absorbent Division, PortsmouthTechnical Center, 3340 West Norfolk Road, Portsmouth, Va. 23703. Othersuperabsorbent material can be suitably used, and examples includeorganic materials, such as silica gels, or organic compounds, such ascross-linked polymers. The superabsorbent materials can be in variousforms, such as particles, fibers, layers, and the like. Thesuperabsorbent material and fluff can be uniformly blended, blended tohave a Z-gradient, or the superabsorbent material can be layered ormulti-layered within the fluff. Absorbent body 22 preferably has asurface area of about 41 square inches, a density of about 0.2 gcc, anda basis weight of about 778 gsm. Absorbent body 22 includes two layersof standard tissue wrap having a basis weight of about 22 gsm. Thetissue wrap is adhesively sealed about the perimeter of absorbent body22 or can be heat sealed if desired.

Foldable absorbent panel 48 can be made of the same identical materialsas absorbent body 22 or from different suitable materials. For example,it may be preferred that foldable panel 48 not be absorbent and, thus,would be made of a nonabsorbent material or of an absorbent materialbeing enclosed within a liquid-impermeable layer.

Both main absorbent body 22 and absorbent panel 48 can be attached orjoined to backsheet 18 in any suitable manner, such as by lines ofadhesive.

Loop surfaces 38, 40 and 42 are preferably made of a loop materialpurchasable from Guilford Mills, Inc., 6001 West Market Street,Greensboro, N.C. 27402, and identified as Guilford Loop Style Nos. 18903or 19902. The shape of each loop surface 38, 40 and 42 is dependent uponthe overall shape of diaper 2. As illustrated, loop surface 38 isrectangular, and loop surfaces 40 and 42 are also rectangular and extendnearly the width of front section 4. Loop surfaces 38, 40 and 42 can beattached to backsheet 18 by lines of adhesive, sonic bonding, or anyother suitable means.

Hook surfaces 32 are preferably a hook material purchasable from VelcroUSA, Manchester, N.H., and are identified as Hook HTH 708. Hook surfaces32 are attached to ear members 14 and 16 by lines of adhesive, sonicbonding, or the like.

The elastic material of which elastic threads 46, elastic threads 50,elastic threads 62, and elastic strands 72 are made is preferably Lycra.

Cushion barriers 52 and 58 can be made of the same material as mainabsorbent body 22 or may be made of fluff fibers or synthetic fibersalone. If it desired that barriers 52 and 58 not be absorbent, then theycan be made of any suitable resilient material, such as a foam material.

Although FIG. 5 illustrated cushion barriers 52 and 58 being replaced bycontainment flaps 64 and 66, the present invention contemplates othercombinations of these elements. For example, diaper 2 may include crotchcushion barriers 52 with waste containment flaps 66, or back waistcushion barrier 58 with containment flaps 64.

While this invention has been described as having a preferredembodiment, it will be understood that it is capable of furthermodifications. This application is, therefore, intended to cover anyvariations, equivalents, uses or adaptations of the invention followingthe general principles thereof and including such departures from thepresent disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the artto which this invention pertains and fall within the limits of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A growth adjustable absorbent article,comprising:a backsheet, including a front section having a front edge, aback section having a back edge, and an intermediate crotch section, amain absorbent body being disposed on at least said intermediate crotchsection and having a top surface summit, and a crotch cushion barrierpositioned on each opposite side of said crotch section wherein eachsaid crotch cushion barrier has a top surface summit that extendsupwardly in a direction away from the backsheet, higher than the topsurface summit of said main absorbent body, wherein said crotch cushionbarrier does not comprise an elastic member.
 2. The article of claim 1further comprising a back waist cushion barrier positioned between saidmain absorbent body and said back edge.
 3. The article of claim 1wherein said cushion barrier is made of an absorbent material.
 4. Thearticle of claim 1 wherein said cushion barrier is made of nonabsorbentmaterial.
 5. The article of claim 1 wherein said cushion barrier isliquid impermeable.
 6. The article of claim 1 wherein said cushionbarrier is liquid permeable.
 7. The article of claim 1 wherein saidcushion barrier is made of a foam material.
 8. The article of claim 1further comprising an elastic member between said cushion barrier andsaid backsheet.
 9. The article of claim 1 wherein said cushion barrieris curved.
 10. The article of claim 1 wherein said article furthercomprises a topsheet and wherein said cushion barrier is positionedbetween said backsheet and said topsheet.
 11. The article of claim 1wherein said cushion barrier is spaced apart from said main absorbentbody.
 12. The article of claim 1 wherein said cushion barrier iselongate in shape.
 13. The article of claim 1 wherein said cushionbarrier has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consistingof cylindrical, rectangular and oval.
 14. The article of claim 1 whereinsaid cushion barrier is positioned on top of said main absorbent body.15. The article of claim 1 wherein said article further comprises afoldable absorbent panel being disposed on said front section betweensaid main absorbent body and said front edge of said front section, saidfoldable absorbent panel being movable between a first position, whereinsaid foldable absorbent panel is substantially coplanar with said mainabsorbent body, and a second position, wherein said foldable absorbentpanel is folded inwardly upon said main absorbent body.
 16. The articleof claim 15 further comprising an elastic member affixed to saidfoldable absorbent panel.
 17. The article of claim 1 further comprisinga loop surface attached to an outer surface of said absorbent article atsaid front section, anda pair of ear members integral with said backsection, each said ear member including a hook surface, said hooksurfaces being releasably engageable with said loop surface.
 18. Thearticle of claim 17 wherein said loop surface comprises a foldable loopsurface foldable with said foldable absorbent panel and a loop surfaceon said backsheet positioned inwardly of said foldable loop surface. 19.The article of claim 18 wherein said hook surfaces are releasablyengageable with both said loop surfaces.
 20. The article of claim 18wherein said hook surfaces are releasably engageable to one of said loopsurfaces.
 21. The article of claim 17 wherein one of said ear membersfurther includes a loop surface attached to an outer surface of saidabsorbent article, said hook surface of said one ear member beingreleasably engageable with said loop surface,said hook surface of saidother ear member being releasably engageable with said loop panel onsaid one ear member.
 22. The article of claim 21 wherein said loopsurface comprises a foldable loop surface foldable with said foldableabsorbent panel and a loop surface positioned inwardly of said foldableloop surface,said hook surface of said one ear member being releasablyengageable with said loop surface positioned inwardly of said foldablesurface when said foldable absorbent panel is in said folded secondposition, said hook surface of said other ear member being releasablyengageable with said loop panel on said one ear member.
 23. The articleof claim 1 further comprising a waist containment flap attached to saidback section near said back edge.